The teaching and research activites in Physics at the University of Salerno started in 70s thanks to Edoardo R. Caianiello, full professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Naples. When he moved to Salerno, he founded the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences.
The number of the research activites, originally focused on theoretical physics and filed theory, cybernetics and superconductivity, has grown significantly. Currently, they include important theoretical activites in cosmology and gravitation, astrophysics, statistical mechanics and solid state physics; for what concerns the experimental side, the study of elementary particles, analysis of innovative magnetic and/or superconductive materials, geophysics researches are very solid.
All these activities need the efforts of one hundred between students, researchers and professors. The research groups collaborate with several national and internaltional research insitutes: CERN, INFN, CNR, ENEA, INGV and CNR SPIN.
The Physics Department of the University of Salerno is also responsible for the teaching activities of the bachelor and master degrees in Physics, as well as for the organization of the PhD course in Mathematics, Physics and Applications.